Student communities in the United States have existed for three centuries. And these are not just interest clubs. The so-called “brotherhoods” and “sisterhoods” consist of the best of the best, the color of the nation and its future.

History of appearance

The tradition of creating student communities appeared in the United States along with the first universities. They were called "Latin societies" because abbreviations from Latin letters. The first such organization was the Flat Hat Club (F.H.C.), the most famous member of which was the third US President Thomas Jefferson, although in one of his letters published in November 2010 by The New-York Times, he called membership in the society pointless.

Another oldest Latin fraternity was the group “Please Don’t Ask” (P.D.A.). The future American politician John Hiff unsuccessfully tried to break into both fraternities, which united the young intellectual elite.

On December 5, 1776, he created the first “Greek” student society, Phi Betta Kappa, at the College of William and Mary in Virginia, of which he served as president.

Since then, the use of a combination of two or three Greek letters as the name of communities has been a tradition. In this regard, the phrases “fraternity” and “Greek society” became synonymous. Often the abbreviation hides the secret motto of the brotherhood.

The first "sisterhood", called the Adelphi Society (today Alpha Delta Pi), did not appear until the mid-19th century, in 1851, at Georgia Wesleyan College. And since the beginning of the twentieth century, many men's societies began to accept women into their ranks. And if initially “sisterhoods” were created as opposed to “brotherhoods,” today they sometimes unite, so now the term “brotherhood” is freely used in relation to both organizations of boys and girls.

Rite of Passage

To undergo the rite of passage into a community, one must first be approved by the members of that community. Talented athletes, excellent students, future leaders are those in whom interest is shown. But all these qualities instantly fade if the candidate does not have wealthy parents behind him. Who you are and who your family is are the most important criteria when joining the student elite. Important role plays the ability of a potential candidate to pay membership fees, which range from $2,000 per semester and beyond, the amount includes accommodation in a special, “Greek”, dormitory and meals.

Becoming a “sister” is a little more difficult. In addition to all of the above, a successful candidate must have an attractive appearance.

But let's return to the initiation rite itself. Each community spends a so-called “hell week” - a hellish week, during which candidates for membership undergo a series of tests. Some of them are quite acceptable: an interview, demonstrating knowledge of the history of the community, its traditions and values, checking that the candidate meets all the requirements. But among others, there are also extremely wild tasks that are more like torture: walking naked around campus, dousing yourself sour milk, spend the night on the cold floor in the basement in only your underwear.

There is a legend that during initiation into the Yale Skull and Bones community, candidates had to drink blood and tell the audience about their sexual preferences. Cruel rituals are considered the most dangerous and frightening part of “Greek” life, causing terrible incidents that sometimes even end in death.

Thus, in 2008, during initiation into the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, 18-year-old California Polytechnic University freshman Carson Starkey died. Carson drank several bottles under duress strong alcohol, among which was 95-degree Everclear.

The young man fainted, and the club members decided not to take him to the hospital so as not to incur problems. After the incident, the “brotherhood” closed. But similar stories continue to appear in the American press.

Their morals

Over the past few years, the American media has been making noise about student communities: homophobic, misogynistic and racist incidents, cases of hooliganism, alcohol poisoning, beatings, drug trafficking, rape - this, according to Complex correspondent Ian Cervantes, is far from full list what the members of the “Greek houses” are repairing. Bloomberg News journalists David Glovin and John Hechinger note that since 2005, more than sixty people, mostly students, have died in fraternity-related incidents.

Such incidents have become a regular practice, and parents of injured students prefer to sue not the university, but the society itself. In the early 90s, the union of three student fraternities created the Franternity Risk Management Trust, an insurance fund designed to cover the costs of incoming lawsuits. Today, 33 fraternities work with the foundation.

To control the situation, communities create for themselves certain rules. For example, alcohol is prohibited on most sorority campuses. However, this law can be easily circumvented by going to a party with the “brothers” in the neighborhood. Also, in 44 states, hazing (in our opinion, hazing) in student communities is prohibited at the legislative level. But ritual humiliations and savage customs still exist, only secretly.

Today, journalists and analysts predict the death of student communities due to the decline in trust, and many universities are making futile attempts to close them on their territory - usually Greek houses exist independently from universities, being independent organizations, or in the event of another scandal, they enlist the support of their influential alumni.

Why is it so important to be in a “brotherhood”?

According to The Atlantic journalist Maria Konnikova, 18 of the 44 presidents of the United States were members of fraternities. William Howard Taft, Truman's Secretary of Defense Robert Lovett, media mogul Henry Luce, both Bushes, current Secretary of State John Kerry - all were members of the already mentioned Yale University Skull and Bones society, and even Jen Psaki, known in Russia for her pearls, studied in that Yale University, was a member of the Chi Omega sorority.

The statistics regarding this issue are, in principle, very tempting - 42% of all US senators and heads of 85% large companies in the states they belonged to “brotherhoods”.

Professor Alan DeSantis, in his book “Inside the Greek Y: Brotherhoods, Sisterhoods and the Pursuit of Pleasure,” notes that only 8.5% of US students are members of fraternities, and they are the first contenders to rise to the top of power. So who would refuse the opportunity to be among the future political and economic elite?

IN modern concept, a member of the community is the ideal student. He is successful in his studies, he attends the loudest parties, participates in organizing the best events at the university, is familiar with interesting people. An image that fits perfectly into the notorious “American Dream”. Membership in a student community is even indicated on a resume when looking for a job, and the company will be more favorable to such a candidate.

A member of the “Greek House” will never go missing. After all, one of the basic rules of any student society is to “pull up” your own. There are no “ex-brothers”.

Gossip about student life in American colleges has spread far beyond the borders of the United States: youth comedies and TV series with enviable tenacity remind us of noisy university parties, a lot of alcohol and, most importantly, student fraternities and sororities, which are behind the organization of general fun.

Fraternities and sisterhoods: male “fraternities” – from Greek word"brotherhood" and sorority - "sisterhood" is a permanent symbol of American universities. Currently, about 600,000 students in the United States belong to fraternities and sororities that have three-letter Greek alphabet names, such as Gamma Phi Beta or Phi Beta Kapp. Interestingly, the first Greek letter society was founded in 1776, when student John Hiff failed to become a member of two Latin letter societies. Without thinking twice, the young man organized his own fraternity, Phi Beta Kappa Society, which became the progenitor of hundreds of other associations that are so popular in American colleges. By the way, the first “women's fraternities,” as they were called at first, appeared only in the 19th century ().

This phenomenon causes a mixed reaction from the public: ordinary Americans do not always know what is happening within the walls of the “brotherly” or “sisterly” house. The members of the organizations themselves are reluctant to share information, preferring to maintain a “cloud” of mystery around the activities of the associations. However, it is a widely known fact that the brothers and sisters have a love for noisy parties, which is why the communities are labeled as lovers of drunkenness and debauchery. Despite everything, fraternities have become an integral part of student life and culture. They are designed to make it easier for first-year students to adapt to student life, to help them make new friends not only during college, but for life, because brothers and sisters actively help each other outside the walls of the university. It is not surprising that many US congressmen and senators, as well as two-thirds of all the country's presidents, were part of the phratries.

The other side of the coin is the very strict selection of candidates: only the best of the best join the ranks of the community, and parents’ money is not the last thing when choosing a candidate. In addition, each recruit must successfully overcome the “week of hell” - this is the name of the test week, during which the freshman must prove his desire to bear the proud title of “brother” or “sister”. He will have to cope with many crazy tasks, such as going outside without clothes or dousing himself with sour milk.

One can argue for a long time about the advantages and disadvantages of the Greek college system: everyone will have reasons to be “for” and “against” student bodies. So we just want to tell you about the most important Greek letter societies - for example, from the GREEK series.

Many of our readers ask for details of the process of admission and study at American universities. We are pleased to respond to these wishes and provide you with a series of posts from the Alma Mater blog published by the Voice of America.

“Alma Mater” is a blog for those who want to learn more about getting an education in the USA. The authors of the project are American students who speak and write Russian. They talk about their student life in the USA, about the ups and downs in the system American education and about the funny and not so funny stories that happened to them on US campuses. Well, today is a post by Natalia Zhukova.

The mysterious letters of the Greek alphabet, which are used to call student communities in the USA, for a long time gave me no rest. I imagined that all these encrypted names like “Phita-Beta-Delta” were hiding secret societies like Skull and Bones at Yale University. The headquarters of this mysterious association is rumored to be located in a gloomy, windowless crypt, and admission to it is accompanied by secret rituals. This student society has a reputation as an influential order, whose members included representatives of the Bush dynasty, the current US Secretary of State John Kerry and many Rockefellers. Rumor has it that such communities can still influence the politics of the United States.

To learn more about fraternities, I decided to talk to the president of Pi Tau Sigma at the University of Maryland, where I attend. Gregory Barr, a smiling young guy in a baseball cap, arrived at the meeting on a scooter. Together we go inside big building, where Gregory tells me that his organization occupies one room here. I open the door and finally find myself on the sovereign territory of a real male student society. Inside a large room, 30 people sit with laptops. The young men slowly typed something on the keyboard, and those who needed to communicate with their neighbors did it in a whisper.

The setting was more like a library, and certainly not like a meeting of a secret order. In order not to disturb the “initiates” from working, we go up to the second floor, to the teachers’ room, where Gregory has his own “office” in a fenced off corner.

Pi Tau Sigma is for those who specialize in mechanical engineering, Gregory said.

The goal of the society is to help its members develop professionally, this is main reason, why students join it. “The main advantage of our society is the connections you make with your colleagues. By joining it, you get huge opportunities for growth and finding a future job.”

Club members constantly meet with potential employers. “For example,” Gregory says, “we met with Exxon Mobile a few weeks ago.” Although Gregory is still studying, he has already worked on robot models at Florida International University and is now working at Johns Hopkins University. He, however, says that he found both jobs on his own, without the help of the student society. And he immediately corrects himself - this is rather an exception to the rule; many of his comrades found work precisely thanks to their membership in Pi Tau Sigma.

Gregory believes that narrowly specialized student associations bring more benefits. There are different engineering societies at the University of Maryland, but the closer the society is to your major, the more beneficial it is to its members. And of course, everyone has to work hard to be honest. Gregory says, “First, you need to have consistently high grades. We are also required to attend all Pi Tau Sigma events and national conventions. But that’s not all, we must be socially active. For example, we help the Relay for Life organization raise money to fight cancer.

Another advantage of societies is that students with initial courses they can ask senior students for advice on what subjects to choose next semester, how to prepare the final project, and so on.

What can I say, Gregory’s prosaic explanations leave no stone unturned in my romantic ideas about student societies. I grasp at the last straw and ask him about the secret rituals. Gregory admits that upon joining, recruits must polish the coat of arms - a symbol of brotherhood - until it shines. The most thorough “rubbers” receive the right to join the society for free, without fees. This, according to him, is the only eccentricity that Pi Tau Sigma allows itself.

By the way, the first student organizations in the states had a different purpose than they do now. Initially, students joined societies to participate in debates and hone their oratory skills. This is how the student organization Phi Beta Kappa defined its goals, the first society named after the letters of the Greek alphabet. Paying tribute to Greece, the birthplace of democracy, debate and the founders of entire schools of philosophical thought, this society used the first letters of its motto in its name, marking a tradition that still allows university clubs to surround themselves with a certain aura of mystery.

Secret student fraternities and clubs in American colleges still exist, but open student specialized societies look much more attractive. They help you find a job and bring creative ideas to life. It may not be as romantic as crypts and blood oaths, but what can we do, we live in a different, pragmatic century.

Being a student at a US college means not only going to lectures and taking exams, but also being a full member of one of the “phratries” (from the Greek “brotherhood”). In the case of girls, such associations are called “sororoti”, or “sisterhood”. Moreover, joining such an organization is not an easy task: in order to prove their devotion to the “brotherhood”, students have to do quite unpleasant things, such as, for example, going out naked, drinking sour milk or a huge amount of alcoholic drinks and sometimes fight. Students are not stopped even by the fact that such tests often end very badly.

Fraternities and sororities have a long history in the United States. The first such group was the academic society “Phi. Beta. Kappa", founded in 1776. Since then, agricultural, Jewish, Asian, medical, and engineering “brotherhoods” and “sisterhoods” have emerged. They were created on the basis of common interests, social status, as well as occupation. Members of such organizations were famous people of that time - poets, writers, politicians.

As a rule, these associations use two or three Greek letters in their name. For example, Zeta Psi or Zeta Beta Tau. Hence another version of their name - “organizations of Greek letters.”

The main advantage of “phratries” is that they help newcomers quickly adapt to student life. However, not all students strive to join “fraternities”; many treat them with contempt. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, not all students agree with the lifestyle of the “brothers” and “sisters”, namely the constant partying and drinking. A typical "brother" should be able to drink a fair amount without losing his pulse. However, the "fraternities" do not only have fun. Apart from parties and rituals, they are involved in charity and philanthropy. But if for some “brotherhoods” this is the main activity, then for the majority it is just a formality.

Secondly, you have to pay for membership in such an organization. Therefore, “fraternities” are often criticized for the fact that they do not make friends here, but “buy them”: if students stop paying dues every semester, then certain sanctions are imposed on them, for example, they are not allowed to attend meetings, they are denied the right to vote. And if financial difficulties drag on, then such “brothers” and “sisters” are simply turned away and other members of the organization are prohibited from communicating with them. At the same time, neither good nor bad attitude towards the student plays any role here.

However, fraternities and sororities have a major impact on life in the United States and around the world. Two thirds American presidents, who ruled the country in the twentieth century, were members of the “brotherhoods”. In addition, they included 76% of all US congressmen and senators and 85% of members Supreme Court USA. Among the 50 largest corporations The US includes 43, which are run by former members of student "phratries".

However, student “fraternities” should not be confused with secret student organizations. Their main difference is that secret societies do not advertise their activities: future members undergo a strict selection process and the initiative for admission comes not from the student, but from the society.

"Skull and crossbones"

Coat of arms of the secret club "Skull and Bones"

Perhaps the most famous and at the same time mysterious student society in the United States is Skull and Bones, a secret society of Yale University students. It was created in 1832 by undergrad William Russell. Initially, the society was called the "Evlogy Club", in honor of greek goddess eloquence. The renaming occurred in 1833, when the club's symbol became death, and the coat of arms became a skull and crossbones. The headquarters of the organization, called "The Tomb", was chosen to be a house on High Street, in the heart of the old Yale campus.

Historically, the Skull and Bones Society is believed to have been founded as an American branch of a similar German student organization. According to some reports, the mysterious number 322 on the club’s coat of arms stands for the year of its founding - 32 and the last 2 - this is an indication that this club has become the second such society in the world.

Members of the secret society are representatives of the highest elite, coming from the richest and most influential families in America. Thus, all US presidents, graduates of Yale University, were members of Skull and Bones. It's about about William Howard Taft, George Bush Sr. and George Bush Jr. In addition, many members of the secret club occupied important positions in the field of politics, diplomacy, means mass media and even intelligence. Thus, Secretary of Defense under Franklin Delano Roosevelt Henry Stimson, US Ambassador to the Soviet Union Everell Harriman and Rockefeller family manager Richardson Dilworth were members of Skull and Bones.

Secret Society "Skull and Bones". 1947 In the photograph, George Bush Sr. (first to the left of the clock)

"Grave". Headquarters of the Skull and Bones Club. Photography 1900-1915

The activities of the club are strictly classified and its members are prohibited from giving out any information, which, in turn, gives rise to many rumors and legends around the society. This is especially true for the initiation rite. For example, some claim that novices are still subjected to cruel ordeals: they are forced to strip naked, lie down in a coffin and talk in detail about their sex lives, after which they are severely beaten and dumped in the mud, and in the end they are allowed to drink blood from skulls But most likely these are rumors that fuel interest in the organization. In 2002, the book "Secrets of the Tomb" was published by A. Robbins, a Yale graduate who, after several years of investigative journalism, was able to obtain some information about the rituals and ideology of the fraternity. According to the book, the rite of passage is less dramatic. Newcomers are blindfolded and pushed furiously, forcing them to repeat the club’s secret oath. Then, instead of blood in the skull, they are given the popular US soft drink Gatorade.

Every year the secret organization “Skull and Bones” accepts 15 new members into its ranks. Previously, only men could become members of the club, but in 1991 the rules were changed and the first woman was accepted into the organization. Club members call themselves “knights”, and the uninitiated call themselves “barbarians”. Members of the community also take a vow to protect and support each other. For example, George W. Bush, having become president, appointed six of his former colleagues to his staff. In addition, upon graduation, each member of the Skull and Bones Club receives a $15,000 gift. If he gets married, the gift is an antique grandfather clock.

Fraternities and sororities have a long history in the United States. The first such group was the academic society “Phi. Beta. Kappa", founded in 1776. Since then, agricultural, Jewish, Asian, medical, and engineering “brotherhoods” and “sisterhoods” have emerged. They were created on the basis of common interests, social status, and occupation. Members of such organizations were the most famous people of that time - poets, writers, politicians.

As a rule, these associations use two or three Greek letters in their name. For example, Zeta Psi or Zeta Beta Tau. Hence another version of their name - “organizations of Greek letters.”

The main advantage of “phratries” is that they help newcomers quickly adapt to student life. However, not all students strive to join “fraternities”; many treat them with contempt. There are several reasons for this.

Firstly, not all students agree with the lifestyle of the “brothers” and “sisters”, namely the constant partying and drinking. A typical "brother" should be able to drink a fair amount without losing his pulse. However, the "fraternities" do not only have fun. Apart from parties and rituals, they are involved in charity and philanthropy. But if for some “brotherhoods” this is the main activity, then for the majority it is just a formality.

Secondly, you have to pay for membership in such an organization. Therefore, “fraternities” are often criticized for the fact that they do not make friends here, but “buy them”: if students stop paying dues every semester, then certain sanctions are imposed on them, for example, they are not allowed to attend meetings, they are denied the right to vote. And if financial difficulties drag on, then such “brothers” and “sisters” are simply turned away and other members of the organization are prohibited from communicating with them. At the same time, neither good nor bad attitude towards the student plays any role here.

However, fraternities and sororities have a major impact on life in the United States and around the world. Two-thirds of the American presidents who governed the country in the twentieth century were members of fraternities. In addition, 76% of all US congressmen and senators and 85% of the members of the US Supreme Court belonged to them. Among the 50 largest corporations in the United States, 43 are run by former members of student “phratries.”

However, student “fraternities” should not be confused with secret student organizations. Their main difference is that secret societies do not advertise their activities: future members undergo a strict selection process and the initiative for admission comes not from the student, but from the society.

"Skull and crossbones"

Coat of arms of the secret club "Skull and Bones"

Perhaps the most famous and at the same time mysterious student society in the United States is Skull and Bones, a secret society of Yale University students. It was created in 1832 by undergrad William Russell. The society was originally called the Eulogia Club, in honor of the Greek goddess of eloquence. The renaming occurred in 1833, when the club's symbol became death, and the coat of arms became a skull and crossbones. The headquarters of the organization, called "The Tomb", was chosen to be a house on High Street, in the heart of the old Yale campus.

Historically, the Skull and Bones Society is believed to have been founded as an American branch of a similar German student organization. According to some reports, the mysterious number 322 on the club’s coat of arms stands for the year of its founding - 32 and the last 2 - this is an indication that this club has become the second such society in the world.

Members of the secret society are representatives of the highest elite, coming from the richest and most influential families in America. Thus, all US presidents, graduates of Yale University, were members of Skull and Bones. We are talking about William Howard Taft, George Bush Sr. and George Bush Jr. In addition, many members of the secret club held important positions in politics, diplomacy, media and even intelligence. Thus, Secretary of Defense under Franklin Delano Roosevelt Henry Stimson, US Ambassador to the Soviet Union Everell Harriman and Rockefeller family manager Richardson Dilworth were members of Skull and Bones.

Secret Society "Skull and Bones". 1947 In the photograph, George Bush Sr. (first to the left of the clock)

"Grave". Headquarters of the Skull and Bones Club. Photography 1900-1915

The activities of the club are strictly classified and its members are prohibited from giving out any information, which, in turn, gives rise to many rumors and legends around the society. This is especially true for the initiation rite. For example, some claim that novices are still subjected to cruel ordeals: they are forced to strip naked, lie down in a coffin and talk in detail about their sex lives, after which they are severely beaten and dumped in the mud, and in the end they are allowed to drink blood from skulls But most likely these are rumors that fuel interest in the organization.

In 2002, the book "Secrets of the Tomb" was published by A. Robbins, a Yale graduate who, after several years of investigative journalism, was able to obtain some information about the rituals and ideology of the fraternity. According to the book, the rite of passage is less dramatic. Newcomers are blindfolded and pushed furiously, forcing them to repeat the club’s secret oath. Then, instead of blood in the skull, they are given the popular US soft drink Gatorade.

Every year the secret organization “Skull and Bones” accepts 15 new members into its ranks. Previously, only men could become members of the club, but in 1991 the rules were changed and the first woman was accepted into the organization. Club members call themselves “knights”, and the uninitiated call themselves “barbarians”. Members of the community also take a vow to protect and support each other. For example, George W. Bush, having become president, appointed six of his former colleagues to his staff. In addition, upon graduation, each member of the Skull and Bones Club receives a $15,000 gift. If he gets married, the gift is an antique grandfather clock.